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| Mandrill's have the most beautiful facial coloration! Did you know they're the world's largest monkey? |
For the first time in 4 years, Matthew and I visited the Dallas Zoo! We normally visit the Fort Worth Zoo because it's closer and we absolutely love it, but we're challenging ourselves to visit all of the Zoo's in Texas this year! One down and nine to go! The weather was on our side at a breezy mid-60s, and admission was only $5 because of a January special they have going on. How perfect is that?
Anytime we visit the zoo, the very first place we venture off to is the Herpetarium. It's my favorite. I would love to someday turn one of the rooms in our house into a private Herpetarium/Insectarium! I took my 40mm lens thinking that it would be great for dealing with the low light and close ups. The only photo that turned out was this one of a Crocodile Monitor. I have been putting off learning to shoot my camera in manual mode, and after going through my favorite part of the zoo and only coming out with one photo is more than enough motivation to finally educate myself. I was so disappointed! I am thrilled that at least one of them turned out though and this guy was such a cutie!
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| Crocodile Monitor |
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| I'm a sucker for anything pink, and so it's no surprise that I love Flamingos! I love the color contrast of the reflections on the water :) |
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| This baby Giraffe was so adorable! She never left mommy's side. |
Of all of the exhibits that we visited, the Chimpanzee's were definitely the most interesting. They all had such distinct personalities and expressions. The younger one on the left was so energetic! He was constantly finding treats, swinging around on ropes, and trying to play with everyone. The older one on the right sat quietly alone most of the time with his arms wrapped snugly around himself. While most of the others were interacting, he never left his spot and definitely seemed like a loner.
I didn't realize that this pretty lady had a baby with her until it peeked it's little face around the side. Baby chimpanzees have got to be one of THE most adorable baby animals on the planet. Those big ears and inquisitive eyes...what a heart melter!
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| My favorite photo of the day! |
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What's your favorite exhibit to visit at the zoo?
So many cute baby animals! These are all such gorgeous shots. Making good use of that new zoom lens. :D
ReplyDeleteThe herpetarium is always my favorite part of the zoo too - although it's tied with aviaries and aquariums! And you are right - it's hard to get a good shot in that kind of situation. Even if you've got manual mode down pat, there is still that extra layer of glass to contend with! I was ending up with reflections a lot - so my husband and I both started wearing black tees whenever we know I'm going to be shooting through glass. I stand at an angle to the glass and he moves his body around to block out the reflections of lights or brightly colored objects behind us. It helped loads!
Oh my gosh that's such a great idea! I'm taking advantage of the black shirt idea next time for sure!
DeleteI love these photos! I almost got to go to the zoo with my sister and nephews today, but it just didn't work out for me.
ReplyDeleteThat first photo is just gorgeous!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Kaylah!
DeleteAhh I just discovered your blog and I love it! I work down at the Texas State Aquarium so if you ever get a chance, I highly recommend visiting!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I haven't visited the Texas State Aquarium in a while, but I'll definitely check it out next time we're down there!
Deletethose photos are amazing, my zoo pics are always terrible!
ReplyDeleteThank you Laura!!
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